From: Paul Ludy
Joy and Peace - 2020
We Wish You a Time of Joy and Peace!
—Dee and Paul Ludy
Please scroll to the end of this message. You can print the attachment to share with family and friends.
The First Christmas in America
by Evan A. Fry
From The Saints’ Herald, December 23, 1944
There is scarcely a man, woman, or child in all Christendom who has not heard the Christmas story of the inn at Bethlehem, where there was no room for Mary and Joseph, of the Baby in the manger, the shepherds in the field, the angel song of peace on earth and good will towards men, and the wise men who came from afar bearing their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. This story has been heralded and rehearsed again and again each year in sermon, in song, in poem, and in story; although we have heard it many times, we find it always appealing and delightful.
But there is another Christmas story with which only some people are familiar—the story of the first Christmas in America. No, it was not the first Christmas celebrated by the Pilgrim fathers or by any of the other early colonists from Europe. This story is contemporaneous with the story told in Luke 2; but instead of taking place in the Holy Land, it occurred on the American continent. It is told in the Book of Mormon.
To get to the beginning of our story, we must go back to about 586 B.C. Jerusalem had fallen, and her people had been killed or scattered throughout all the earth. Only a small remnant of the Jewish nation remained in Palestine. But that small remnant, plus a few more who later returned from captivity, still eagerly looked forward to the coming of the promised Messiah, of Whom many of the ancient prophets had spoken. We know the story of how the promised Savior came to them. But most of us know nothing of how those promises were fulfilled to the scattered tribes of Israel. Were they still expecting the Messiah? Had they any signs of His birth?
It seems incredible that Jesus should confine His ministry to one small group of His chosen people, when all of them had been taught almost from the beginning of their racial and national history to expect Him. Jesus said, “And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd” (John 10:16). He must have had in mind some of the “lost sheep” of the house of Israel, who had been scattered far from the national fold at Jerusalem but who were still expecting His coming. Jesus Himself never preached to the Gentiles. He said, “I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 15:23).
The Book of Mormon tells the story of one small group of Israelites who left Jerusalem in the year 600 B.C., just before the destruction of the city and the captivity of King Zedekiah. Their leader was Lehi. Under God’s direction, they found their way to the seashore and eventually across the water to the land of America. There they established a new civilization—a new nation—and grew and spread in the land.
They had with them the writings of the ancient prophets of Israel; they knew of the promise of the Messiah. For 600 years they had their ups and downs, their periods of prosperity and of adversity, their periods of righteousness and their seasons of wickedness. They became divided into two groups, two separate nations, called after two of the sons of Lehi—Nephi and Laman.
Usually it was the Nephites who were the righteous people and who followed God; and the Lamanites were wicked, perverse, and defiant of God and His prophets. For their wickedness the Lamanites had been cursed with a dark skin.
At the time our Christmas story really begins, about five years before the birth of Christ, the situation had been reversed. The Lamanites were keeping the laws of God and living fairly righteous lives nationally as well as personally. And the Nephites had become wicked, perverse, haughty, and scornful toward the few of their number who still believed in righteousness, decency, and truth. One of their prophets, Nephi by name, had attempted to turn them to repentance; but they refused to listen to him.
As the people waxed worse and worse in the Nephite nation, many of them turned to robbery, black-mail, and extortion for a living. Inevitably, wars developed; and many people were killed with the sword. A famine brought them to their senses for a time, and then the old wickedness broke out again.
Finally, the Spirit of the Lord moved upon a Lamanite named Samuel and prompted him to go and prophesy to Zarahemla, the great city of the Nephites. He was not allowed to come within the city, so he was forced to climb upon the walls and prophesy there to such as gathered below him to listen and to ridicule.
Samuel, under those trying conditions, warned the wicked city of judgments to come unless they repented. He reminded them of the promises made to their ancient prophets across the sea concerning a Messiah, and he prophesied that His advent was near.
He said: “Behold, I give unto you a sign: For five years more cometh, and behold, then cometh the Son of God to redeem all those who shall believe on his name. . . . Behold, there shall be great lights in heaven, insomuch that in the night before he cometh, there shall be no darkness, insomuch that it shall appear unto man as if it was day. Therefore, there shall be one day and a night and a day as if it were one day and there were no night; and this shall be unto you for a sign; for ye shall know of the rising of the sun and also of its setting; . . . and it shall be the night before he is born. And behold, there shall be a new star arise, such an one as ye never have beheld” (Helaman 5:55-59).
Samuel also prophesied three days of darkness after the Messiah would be put to death. He told of earthquakes and great storms at that time. And he called upon all the people of Zarahemla to repent of their sins.
Some people who heard Samuel believed his words and sought for Nephi, confessing their sins and asking for baptism. But those who did not believe Samuel were angry with him. They threw stones and shot arrows at Samuel, but they could not hit him. They said he had a devil in him. Samuel escaped and fled back to his own country.
Samuel had allowed five years for the coming of the sign of the Messiah’s birth. But as that time passed, many of the people in the city of Zarahemla became more wicked and more scornful of the few people who believed in the prophecy and were trying to prepare themselves for the coming of the Messiah. Many people began to say that the time was already past when the prophecy should have been fulfilled. Their persecution waxed hotter and hotter.
Finally, the leaders of the persecution fixed a day in which all the believers who still were looking for the promised sign should be put to death. They thought that would stamp out once and for all the foolish superstition of a coming Messiah and put a stop to all the preaching of repentance—which was a considerable nuisance to the wicked people who had no intention of repenting.
Nephi, the leader of the people who still expected a fulfillment of Samuel’s prophecy, heard this decree with alarm but not with fear. He poured out his soul mightily to God in prayer in behalf of his people. He prayed all the day.
Then the voice of the Lord came to Nephi, saying, “Lift up your head and be of good cheer, for behold, the time is at hand; and on this night shall the sign be given, and on the morrow come I into the world to show unto the world that I will fulfill all that which I have caused to be spoken by the mouth of my holy prophets. Behold, I come unto my own to fulfill all things which I have made known unto the children of men, from the foundation of the world. . . . The time is at hand, and this night shall the sign be given” (3 Nephi 1:12-15).
That night the sun went down as usual, but there was no darkness; it was as light as day all night long. A new star appeared as Samuel had prophesied five years before. People throughout the land saw the sign and knew that it was in fulfillment of the promise given. It was so important to them that they began to reckon time from the Messiah’s birth (see 3 Nephi 1:45).
So marvelous was the power of the miracle that it stirred the hearts of many people and convicted them of their sin. Multitudes of them repented of their past wickedness and unbelief, changed their ways, and sought righteousness. Then for a short time—until the people again forgot and turned to wickedness—there was peace and prosperity in the land.
The mission and the message of Jesus Christ are to the whole world. He knew then—and He knows now—where each of His lost sheep, both Jew and Gentile, is to be found. The Book of Mormon teaches that He came to America after His crucifixion, taught the people here, and established His Church among them.
May the Messiah’s message of peace on earth and goodwill toward men soon be heralded abroad to the whole world and His Kingdom come on earth, where love and brotherhood shall rule.
This is a chapter from a new book, Book of Mormon Blessings,
—Dee and Paul Ludy
Please scroll to the end of this message. You can print the attachment to share with family and friends.
The First Christmas in America
by Evan A. Fry
From The Saints’ Herald, December 23, 1944
There is scarcely a man, woman, or child in all Christendom who has not heard the Christmas story of the inn at Bethlehem, where there was no room for Mary and Joseph, of the Baby in the manger, the shepherds in the field, the angel song of peace on earth and good will towards men, and the wise men who came from afar bearing their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. This story has been heralded and rehearsed again and again each year in sermon, in song, in poem, and in story; although we have heard it many times, we find it always appealing and delightful.
But there is another Christmas story with which only some people are familiar—the story of the first Christmas in America. No, it was not the first Christmas celebrated by the Pilgrim fathers or by any of the other early colonists from Europe. This story is contemporaneous with the story told in Luke 2; but instead of taking place in the Holy Land, it occurred on the American continent. It is told in the Book of Mormon.
To get to the beginning of our story, we must go back to about 586 B.C. Jerusalem had fallen, and her people had been killed or scattered throughout all the earth. Only a small remnant of the Jewish nation remained in Palestine. But that small remnant, plus a few more who later returned from captivity, still eagerly looked forward to the coming of the promised Messiah, of Whom many of the ancient prophets had spoken. We know the story of how the promised Savior came to them. But most of us know nothing of how those promises were fulfilled to the scattered tribes of Israel. Were they still expecting the Messiah? Had they any signs of His birth?
It seems incredible that Jesus should confine His ministry to one small group of His chosen people, when all of them had been taught almost from the beginning of their racial and national history to expect Him. Jesus said, “And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd” (John 10:16). He must have had in mind some of the “lost sheep” of the house of Israel, who had been scattered far from the national fold at Jerusalem but who were still expecting His coming. Jesus Himself never preached to the Gentiles. He said, “I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 15:23).
The Book of Mormon tells the story of one small group of Israelites who left Jerusalem in the year 600 B.C., just before the destruction of the city and the captivity of King Zedekiah. Their leader was Lehi. Under God’s direction, they found their way to the seashore and eventually across the water to the land of America. There they established a new civilization—a new nation—and grew and spread in the land.
They had with them the writings of the ancient prophets of Israel; they knew of the promise of the Messiah. For 600 years they had their ups and downs, their periods of prosperity and of adversity, their periods of righteousness and their seasons of wickedness. They became divided into two groups, two separate nations, called after two of the sons of Lehi—Nephi and Laman.
Usually it was the Nephites who were the righteous people and who followed God; and the Lamanites were wicked, perverse, and defiant of God and His prophets. For their wickedness the Lamanites had been cursed with a dark skin.
At the time our Christmas story really begins, about five years before the birth of Christ, the situation had been reversed. The Lamanites were keeping the laws of God and living fairly righteous lives nationally as well as personally. And the Nephites had become wicked, perverse, haughty, and scornful toward the few of their number who still believed in righteousness, decency, and truth. One of their prophets, Nephi by name, had attempted to turn them to repentance; but they refused to listen to him.
As the people waxed worse and worse in the Nephite nation, many of them turned to robbery, black-mail, and extortion for a living. Inevitably, wars developed; and many people were killed with the sword. A famine brought them to their senses for a time, and then the old wickedness broke out again.
Finally, the Spirit of the Lord moved upon a Lamanite named Samuel and prompted him to go and prophesy to Zarahemla, the great city of the Nephites. He was not allowed to come within the city, so he was forced to climb upon the walls and prophesy there to such as gathered below him to listen and to ridicule.
Samuel, under those trying conditions, warned the wicked city of judgments to come unless they repented. He reminded them of the promises made to their ancient prophets across the sea concerning a Messiah, and he prophesied that His advent was near.
He said: “Behold, I give unto you a sign: For five years more cometh, and behold, then cometh the Son of God to redeem all those who shall believe on his name. . . . Behold, there shall be great lights in heaven, insomuch that in the night before he cometh, there shall be no darkness, insomuch that it shall appear unto man as if it was day. Therefore, there shall be one day and a night and a day as if it were one day and there were no night; and this shall be unto you for a sign; for ye shall know of the rising of the sun and also of its setting; . . . and it shall be the night before he is born. And behold, there shall be a new star arise, such an one as ye never have beheld” (Helaman 5:55-59).
Samuel also prophesied three days of darkness after the Messiah would be put to death. He told of earthquakes and great storms at that time. And he called upon all the people of Zarahemla to repent of their sins.
Some people who heard Samuel believed his words and sought for Nephi, confessing their sins and asking for baptism. But those who did not believe Samuel were angry with him. They threw stones and shot arrows at Samuel, but they could not hit him. They said he had a devil in him. Samuel escaped and fled back to his own country.
Samuel had allowed five years for the coming of the sign of the Messiah’s birth. But as that time passed, many of the people in the city of Zarahemla became more wicked and more scornful of the few people who believed in the prophecy and were trying to prepare themselves for the coming of the Messiah. Many people began to say that the time was already past when the prophecy should have been fulfilled. Their persecution waxed hotter and hotter.
Finally, the leaders of the persecution fixed a day in which all the believers who still were looking for the promised sign should be put to death. They thought that would stamp out once and for all the foolish superstition of a coming Messiah and put a stop to all the preaching of repentance—which was a considerable nuisance to the wicked people who had no intention of repenting.
Nephi, the leader of the people who still expected a fulfillment of Samuel’s prophecy, heard this decree with alarm but not with fear. He poured out his soul mightily to God in prayer in behalf of his people. He prayed all the day.
Then the voice of the Lord came to Nephi, saying, “Lift up your head and be of good cheer, for behold, the time is at hand; and on this night shall the sign be given, and on the morrow come I into the world to show unto the world that I will fulfill all that which I have caused to be spoken by the mouth of my holy prophets. Behold, I come unto my own to fulfill all things which I have made known unto the children of men, from the foundation of the world. . . . The time is at hand, and this night shall the sign be given” (3 Nephi 1:12-15).
That night the sun went down as usual, but there was no darkness; it was as light as day all night long. A new star appeared as Samuel had prophesied five years before. People throughout the land saw the sign and knew that it was in fulfillment of the promise given. It was so important to them that they began to reckon time from the Messiah’s birth (see 3 Nephi 1:45).
So marvelous was the power of the miracle that it stirred the hearts of many people and convicted them of their sin. Multitudes of them repented of their past wickedness and unbelief, changed their ways, and sought righteousness. Then for a short time—until the people again forgot and turned to wickedness—there was peace and prosperity in the land.
The mission and the message of Jesus Christ are to the whole world. He knew then—and He knows now—where each of His lost sheep, both Jew and Gentile, is to be found. The Book of Mormon teaches that He came to America after His crucifixion, taught the people here, and established His Church among them.
May the Messiah’s message of peace on earth and goodwill toward men soon be heralded abroad to the whole world and His Kingdom come on earth, where love and brotherhood shall rule.
This is a chapter from a new book, Book of Mormon Blessings,
to be published in January, 2021.
The book, by Evan A. Fry, presents teachings from the Book of Mormon to help you share with friends.
It has 146 pages and a price of $8.00.
If you order by December 31, 2020, you can save $1.00 on each book.
Order by e-mail to PaulVLudy@gmail.comor phone (816) 210-8450
It has 146 pages and a price of $8.00.
If you order by December 31, 2020, you can save $1.00 on each book.
Order by e-mail to PaulVLudy@gmail.comor phone (816) 210-8450
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